Pressing machine



March 27, 1934. H. D. FORSE PRESSING MACHINE Filed April 25, 1930 ATTORNEYS.

Patented Mar. 27, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PRESSING MACHINEHarry D. Forse, Anderson, Ind.

Application April 25, 1930, Serial No. 447,353

4 Claims. (01. 68--9) This invention relates to a garment pressingmachine.

The chief object of this invention is to permit the control of the headportion of a garment 5 press such that steaming can be practiced andcontrolled at any position of the head and by a foot pedal, as well as ahand lever.

The chief feature of the invention consists in the provision of a footpedal control for a steam control valve of the head of a garmentpressing machine normally equipped with a hand' lever control for saidvalve, whereby the operator may utilize both hands for manipulating thegarment when the head is elevated, for example, for l5 shoulderpressing, and steam the garment through foot pedal actuation of thesteam control valve.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from theaccompanying drawing and the following description and claims:

In the drawing, the figure is a side elevational view of a garment pressembodying the invention.

In the drawing 10 indicates a frame supporting through a base member 11,a buck 12. 13 indicates an upward extension of the frame which :23pivotally supports at 14 the head supporting arms 15. Arms 15 support,as at 16, a head structure 17. The arms also terminate in a handle 18for positioning of the head. Steam is supplied by line 19 to the headstructure and said supply is 7! controlled by a valve 20 supported as at21 by and from the arms 15. The valve 20 includes the stem 22 and saidvalve is normally constrained toward closed position when it isprojected outwardly toward the arms. A hand lever 23 is piv- 25 otallysupported at 24 upon said arms and terminates adjacent the handle 18.When the hand lever is depressed, it engages stem 22, opens the steamvalve 20 and permits steam to pass through into the head 17.

In order to steam shoulders and the like, the head must be elevated fromthe buck and to facilitate handling the garment, two hands are highlydesirable for such use. If the hand control for a steam valve is theonly control pro- -i5 vided, the garmentmust be manipulated with onehand, the other hand must operate the control and the arm operating thehand control is exposed to the upwardly directed and escaping steam fromthe head. scalding or burning is not infrequent.

' One form of foot control consists in a lever 30 pivoted as at 31 tothe frame and terminating in an exposed tread portion 32. Lever 30 isconnected by a rod 33 to a member 34 which is moved, when the lever 30is depressed, to tilt lever 23 counterclockwise by engaging theextension 35 thereof through the portion 36 carried by the member 34.

With this mechanism, the operator of the press is enabled to utilize twohands to sustain and manipulate the garment and his arms are protected,or at least in a position where the escaping steam does not contact thesame and the steam valve is operable by depressing foot pedal 32.

The invention claimed is:-

1. In a pressing machine of the character described, the combinationwith a frame, a buck on said frame, a head movable toward and from thebuck, and a carrier for the buck pivoted on the frame, of means forcontrolling the supply of a fiuid to the head comprising a valveoperating member operatively supported by the carrier, a lever pivotedto the carrier and having at one end a. hand engageable portion and atits opposite end a projecting portion, a foot operable lever pivoted tothe lower portion of the frame and having one end adapted for footengagement, another lever pivoted on the carrier, and a rod connected atopposite ends directly to the last mentioned lever and foot operablelever, the first of the connections being substantially coaxial with thepivotal axis of the carrier, said first and third mentioned levershaving a one way operative connection for the purpose set forth.

2. A device as defined by claim 1, characterized by the one wayoperative connection between the first and third mentioned leversconsisting of an overhanging projecting portion on the first mentionedlever and a contact portion beneath said overhanging portion and carriedby the third mentioned lever and operatively engaging the overhangingportion when the second mentioned lever is actuated.

3. A device as defined by claim 1, characterized by the first and thirdmentioned levers having a

